LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1421, 23 April 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

fr. The postal authorities adriso that the s.s. Maunganui, which left Sydney at noon on Snturday last, has on board an Australian mail. She is due to arrive here to-morrow morning. Tho b.s. Aorangi, which left Sydney at 8 p.m. on Saturday, has also on board an Australian mail. Slto is due on Thursday morning. Tho mails which left Wellington on March 15 per s.s. Moana, and connected with the Naples mail, per R.M.S. Otway, arrived in London on April 21. The annual conference of the Federation of Labour will bo held on May 22 next. Before the general conference the executive will meet on May 20, and delegates from transport workers'unions affiliated with the federation will meet on May 22. About the same timo it is probable that tho federation executive will meet the shipowners and cement exporters, to discuss modified regulations for the handling of cement. Paper-lined bags aro now tho rule, and the transport workers aro well enough satisfied with tlicni, but tho cement works' employees, who aro also members of tho federation, complain that the creasote, with which the paper lining of tho bags is impregnated, has injurious effect on their hands. The proposal to hold a conference about the matter is said to be favourably received by all parties. The object will be to secure the uso of a bag of uniform pattern and material which will be acceptable to all classes of workers. An extraordinary general meeting of members of the Chamber of Commerco is to be held on April 29 "to consider the attitude of tho council in connection with the To Aro railway station." Tho lriceting has been convened by Messrs. A. Leigh Hunt, W. J. Thompson, James Macintosh, and Thos. Balliitger. The "attitude" referred to arose out. of a motion by Mr. Hunt and an amendment by Mr. E.'G. Pilcher, considered at the last meeting of the council of the chamber. Mr. Hunt moved, as part of a motion dealing with railway mutters, that a goods station bo erected at To Aro, and Mr. Pilcher (as an amendment to that part of the motion urging the Government to build a central railway station in Wellington) that tho To Aro railway • station bo closed. This was carried by one vote.

Tho tender of Sanders Bros., of Wellington, nt .£11,652, has been accepted by the Public Works Department for tho erection of a bulk store for tho Post and Telegraph Department, to rcplaco the old building, which will bo done away with owing to the extension of the railway yard on the reclaimed land at Thorndon. Tho unsuccessful tenderers were: AY. IT, Bennett, ; Howie and Matthews, ifiin.OSfl; A. Senmer, ,£11,780; Murdoch and Wftllis, .£15,(89: ,T. nnd A. Wilson, •£10.302; M. Train, JC1C,!)00; Campbell and Burke, JlS.lTl.

The Kilbirnie Sclicol C.mmittee intends to elect n '.sub-committee to wait upon tho Edueati&n Board and place, before the board "the committee's inability to proceed on the best method without" the board's giving them.- full assistance and making prompt payments." The grievance is that tho committed only gets enough capitation to pay for fuel and cleaning.

Turnbull and Jones have contracted to snpplv the City Council with fortv miles of insulated wire at :i price of £\M lis. 4(1. Unaccepted tenders were: Lawrence and Hanson (,£1533 Hs.): YV. S. Watson and Co. (.£lsll Is. lid.); R. Brown (,£1505); British G. K. Co. (.£1505 Us. ad.); A. W. Riley (.IiIGRD; C. W. Martin (-.01720): P. E. Baillie and Co. (.£'1752 17s. Sil.); Richardson, Blair, and M'Cabo UISS!) ISO: A. and T. Burt U12213 18s. «.); Felton and fiuillaimno lamt Uaom i£im.

The Postmaster-General (tho'llon. II G. L'll) will formally open the now posl oliice at I'orirua at 3 o'clock to-morrow afternoon.

The bodies of two cars of the long-box variety, with tlireo outsido scats, have been almost completed in the tramway workshops. The bogie trucks are in hand, and tho vehicles will bo ready for tho road in about a month.

"Wo regret to sny," ran a. paragraph in tho annual report of tho outgoing hilbirnie School Committee, "considerable difficulties have had (o bo cverconio through I lie Befence Department not passing the riiie range as satisfactory for tho rillo originally intended for use! ond insisled on further additions to make (ho range safe. Mr. Martin, who. has had full control of the matter, lias now arranged to carry out these necessary additions, which wo hope to'sou completed and in use very shortly."

At nbcut 2 o'clock yesterday morning nn outbreak of lire was discovered in tho premises of Messrs. K T. Taylor and I'"., bottlers, Courtenay Place. The liro started in some crates. It was extinguished by the City Fire Brigade, and the damage was confined to the loss of seme crates and soino bottles. Messrs. Taylor and Company's block of buildings is insured in the London, Liverpool, and Globe ollico for JMSOO, and the contents were insured for .I'lflOO in the sume company.

In his report presented to tho annual meeting of householders last evening, tlio headmaster of the Wellington South School (Mr. G. Flux) stated that, lie had received nn appeal from the Society of Arts for eeliool subscriptions towards tlio purchase of a picluro lor the National Gallery. The idea was, lie said, that pupils of the various schools should bring their miles and that, the total sum realised should be expended in purchasing a picture to bear a label indicating how it had been acquired. Mr. Flux stated that he would bo glad if parents encouraged their children to help on this laudablo object. . At tho annual general meeting of the KelbiiHie Volunteer Fire Brigade, hold last week, reference was made to tho evident lack of interest taken by the community in tho maintenance of an nctivo local iire brigade, and n desire was expressed that a more general response should bo made by the young men of tho district to supplement the numbers of tlio limited brigade as it nt present exists. The existence of a fairly strong brigade (writes a correspondent) means protection to property and an cver-velcomo assuviocc to tho community that their losses will be reduced to a minimum. In Such a cause, wliero services are voluntarily given, it is unseasonable that tin burden of duty should devolve upon a low, and Mr. James Wilson, the secretary, would bo glad to receive names and enrol members.

Tlio new Enterprise, Boy Messenger Service, recently started in, Wellington, is proving a much-needed want. All that is necessary—to King up 2852, when a Messenger will be immediately dispatched to do anything required, cheaply and (Illicitly.—Advl.